Faucet.



B. L. THURSTON.

PAUGET.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26. 1910.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

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Wfiiasses:

EDWIN L. THURSTON, 013 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FAUCET.

Specification of Letters I'atent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

Application filed March 25, 1910. Serial No. 551,530.

pressure.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a faucet which, with aslight and easily made alteration, can be changed from a self-closingone, to one which can be left open.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved structurewhich results in avoiding the hammering which is objectionable in manyfaucets of this type.

Another object is to providea structure which will enable a person toknow at a glance whether the valve has been left open or closed, whenwater pressure has been shut off from the system.

To these ends, the invention consists in the construction andcombination of parts substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification,Figure 1 rep resents a longitudinal section of a faucetembodying the invention. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 22 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detailed under plan view of the valve, on anenlarged scale. Fig. 4 represents a detail section on line 44= of Fig.2, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a View similar to a portion of Fig.1, but on a larger scale, and illustrating a dilferent shape of camwhich may be employed.

Similar reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in allthe figures.

The casing of the improved faucet includes a valve chamber 12, adischarge nozzle 13 in alinement with the valve chamber, an inlet 14communicating with the valve chamber, and a valve seat 15 between theinlet and outlet, said valve seat being an inwardly projecting flangesurrounding an opening 16 through which water passes when the valve,hereinafter described, is

' open. The upper end of the valve chamber 12 is provided with aninternally screwcured an externally-tlu'eaded plug 17 which closes saidopening, and is provided with a longitudinal socket 18 forming a guidefor the stem of the valve, said guide being in alinement with thelongitudinal center of the valve chamber, the valve seat, and outletnozzle.

19 represents a valve which is located in the chamber 12, and is adaptedto be seated on the valve seat 15, and close the opening 16. The valveis provided with a stem 20 having a sliding fit in the guide 18, saidguide and stem maintaining the valve in a position parallel with thevalve seat.

21 represents a foot which is secured to the valve and has parallelribs, the outer edges of which fit the opening 16. Said foot is providedwith a screw-threaded shank 22 which engages an internally threadedsocket in the valve stem 20, provision being thus made for detachablyconnecting the foot with the valve. When the plug 17 is removed, thestem 20 can be grasped and the valve lifted out, the foot 21 passingfreely out through the opening 16.

The cam 23, shown in Figs. 1 and 4:, has an angular opening and engagesan angular portion of a shaft 24 which is journaled in the bearing 25formed at one side of the casing. The outer end of the shaft 24 has ahandle 27 secured to it, said handle being so connected to the shaftthat when the handle extends crosswise, as in Fig. 1, a lower portion ofthe cam is in engagement with the foot 21, so that the valve is free tobe seated by the water pressure. In other words, when the valve isclosed, the handle extends horizontally; but when the handle is turnedto open the valve, said handle will be vertical, or substantially so.The cam is removably held in position on the angular portion of theshaft by means of a nut 28, fitting a screw-threaded end portion of theshaft.

The nozzle or bib portion 13 of the faucet is removable, preferably by ascrew-threaded connection 29, the location of this point of separabilityof the parts being close to the shaft, so that when said bib 13 isremoved, access to the nut 28 is easy so that the nut can be taken ofl,the cam 23 removed, and a cam of another form substituted therefor. Thecam having the shape shown in Figs. 1 and 4 is practically incapable ofholding the valve raised from its seat when the water is flowing pastthe valve, unless a person retains a grasp of the handle. In

other words, when a cam such as shown at 23, is used, the faucetautomatically closes by water pressure whenever the handle is released.A faucetoperating in this manner is preferred in many locations,especially public buildings. But ordinarily, in residences, faucets arepreferred which can be left open. To adapt my improved faucet so that itcan be used in the preferred manner mentioned in residences, the bib 13is removed, the nut 28 unscrewed, and the cam 23 replaced by one havinga shape such as shown, for instance, in Fig. 5, at 23 Said cam 23* isshown as an eccentrically mounted disk, but having a portion flattened.where the radius is the greatest, so that when the shaft is actuated torotate the cam from the position shown by full lines in Figs. 5, to theposition indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5, the valve will remainopen, because the lower end of the foot 21 bears on the flat portion ofthe cam;

It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the particularshapes of cams illustrated, as I may employ any forms that may bepreferred, it being essential, however, to this feature of my invention,that one of the cams will be incapable of holding the valve raised,while the other cam will be so shaped that it can be left in a positionto hold the valve above its seat. And, of course, in connection withthis feature of my invention, it is essential that the casing of thefaucet shall be made in parts, one portion of which can be removed, toenable one cam to be substituted for the other, the line of division ofthe parts being close to the cam and shaft.

An especial reason for providing a handle which will show when the valveis closed is that it sometimes happens that after water has been cut offfrom a building, some one tries to draw water and leaves the valve open.It is then customary for an inspector to go around and examine differentfaucets to see that all are closed before the water is turned on againin the building. With the ordinary faucet, there is no way ofdetermining at a glance whether or not the valve is closed. But with myimproved faucet, an inspector can tell at once whether the valve is shutor not, without going to it to make tests.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the plane of the valve seat 15is considerably above the bottom of the inlet 14:, an upwardly curvedwall being presented at 30.- And it will also be observed that thebottom of the plug 17 is considerably above the top of the inlet 14. Ihave found by eX- periments that this formation results in avoidinghammering of the valve, and I believe it to be due to the fact that anair cushion is formed above the water in the chamber 12 and below thebottom of the plug 17, and the further fact that some of the waterflowing through the inlet toward the valve chamber, striking the curvedwall 30 and being deflected upward, prevents such a direct and rapidcurrent of water laterally against the valve and its stem as would startthe valve to hammering.

I claim 1. A faucet comprising a casing having a removable bib, a shaftmounted in said casing close to the point of conection of the bib to thecasing, a cam removably mounted on the inner end of the shaft, and avalve adapted to be actuated by said cam.

2. A faucet comprising a casing having a valve chamber and an inletleading to said valve chamber and formed with a valve seat at the bottomof the valve chamber, but above the plane of the bottom of the inlet,the lower part of the end of the inlet which communicates with saidvalve chamber presenting an upwardly curved wall, a valve to cooperatewith said seat and having a foot, a cam to engage said foot, and meansfor actuating the cam, the casing being formed to provide an air cushionabove the valve, and above the top of said curved wall.

3. A faucet comprising a casing having a valve chamber, a removabledischarge bib. in alinement with the valve chamber, a valve seat betweenthe valve chamber and outlet bib, an inlet leading to the chamber abovethe valve seat, one end of the valve chamber having an opening and aremovable plug which closes said opening, said plug'being provided witha guide in alinement with the longitudinal axis of the chamber, a valvemounted in the valve chamber and having a stem movable in said guide, afoot con- EDWIN L. THURS-TON.

Vitnesses G. F. BROWN, JAs. H. CHURCHILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of latents, Washington, D. C.

